Food-waste disposal apparatus



May 7, 1968 R. c. WETZEL FOOD-WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS Filed Jan. 17, 1966 INVENTOR. PAY C. WETZEL United States Patent 3,331,902 FOOD-WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS Ray C. Wetzel, 15123 Boca Chica Drive, La Mirada, Calif. 90638 Filed Jan. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 523,241 6 Claims. (Cl. 241-46) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLGSURE This invention concerns itself with an improved garbage disposal unit whose assembly is greatly simplified and whose life is considerably extended. The assembly simplification is provided by means of a bearing structure that eliminates alignment problems, and the life of the apparatus is extended by means of a new type of water seal for the bearings.

The present invention relates to food-waste disposer units in general and more particularly relates to an improved internal construction for the grinding section of such units.

As is well known, garbage disposal units are relatively complex pieces of equipment in that they involve the cooperation of a considerable number of parts for the ultimate purpose of comminuting waste material. Consequently, any technique that makes it possible to reduce the total number of parts or to simplify the manufacture and assembly of these units must be considered as a material improvement in this field. More particularly, in the prior art, disposal units are generally constructed to have a center housing section that houses not only the bearing and the water seal for the bearing, but oftentimes the cutting mechanism as well. Such central sections are cast as a unit, with the result that they suffer from certain disadvantages, such as, for example, high cost of manufacture, an undesirably high number of bearing failures because of the exposure of the bearings to hot water with this kind of construction, and, because of the rigidity of the bearing construction, bearing alignment difficulties are usually encountered. An example of such a center housing section may be seen in the patent to George D. Gebhart entitled, Food-Waste Reduction Devices, Patent No. 2,772,836 issued Dec. 4, 1956.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to eliminate the casting of such center housing sections for waste disposal units.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a Water seal for the bearings in waste disposal ap paratus that will materially increase the life of such elements.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bearing structure that will eliminate alignment problems.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a structural arrangement for the bearings in a food-waste disposer that will provide an effective water seal for the bearings, allow for their proper alignment, and at the same time reduce the manufacturing costs of such equipment.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which an embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

Fatented May 7, 1968 FIGURE 1 is a front view, in cross-section, of the internal construction of a food-waste disposal unit according to the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the FIG. 1 apparatus taken along the broken line 22 and in the direction of the arrows thereof.

For a detailed description of the invention, reference is now made to the drawing wherein like or similar parts are similarly designated in the figures. In FIG. 1, the embodirnent is shown to include a cylindrically-shaped motor housing 10 which, as its name implies, is designed to house the disposal motor and its auxiliary apparatus. Although not a part of the invention, the figure does show an overload-relay device 11 that is mounted inside the housing onto the bottom plate or cover thereof, a plate 12 to protect this relay device preferably being mounted above it. The motor itself, generally designated 13, is mounted above protection plate 12 between a pair of bearing brackets 14 and 15 that extend diametrically across the housing preferably in registration with each other. Thus, brackets 14 and 15 have generally rectangular shapes that ar arced at their ends so that they might conform to and fit into the curvature of the housmg.

Brackets 14 and 15 respectively have a pair of openings 16 and 17 through them that are of identical configuration and in registration with each other. These openings are centrally located on the brackets and, as is clearly shown in FIG. 2 wherein bracket 14 is illustrated, they also are generally rectangular in shape, with two sides of each opening being straight and parallel to each other and the other two being circularly arced. The reason why each of said openings has a pair of straight and parallel side will become clearer later. As shown in the figure, a pair of bearing covers 18 and 21 are respectively mounted on bearing brackets 14 and 15, on the inside surfaces thereof, and over openings 16 and 17, each bearing cover having a circular opening through it that is coaxially aligned with the opening through the bearing bracket on which it is mounted. Thus, the opening through bearing cover 18, designated 21, faces opening 16 and the opening through bearing cover 20, designated 22, faces opening 17.

A bearing 23 is mounted between bracket 14- and cover 18 in openings 16 and 21 thereof and, similarly, a bearing 24 is mounted between bracket 14 and cover 29 in openings 17 and 22 thereof. As may be seen from the figures, bearings 23 and 24 are horizontally flat on top and bottom but spherical in between, except for parallel flat surfaces cut vertically into each of the bearings. These flat vertical surfaces are commonly referred to as flats. In bearing 23 the flats are designated 23a and 23b and extend downwardly from the top surface of the bearing, whereas in bearing 24, they are designated 24a and 24b and extend upwardly from the bottom surface of the bearing. Thus, as can be seen from FIG. 2, the top portion of bearing 23 conforms, in its configuration, t0 the shape of opening 16 in bracket 14 and, likewise, the bottom portion of bearing 24 conforms, in its configuration, to the shape of opening 17 in bracket 15.

More specifically, looking down onto the flat top surface of bearing 23, which is the view in FIG. 2, the top portion of the bearing is generally of rectangular shape with two sides straight and parallel and the other two circularly arced. Consequently, when this top portion of bearing 23 is fitted into opening 16, the bearing is thereby prevented from rotating. The same is true with respect to the bottom portion of bearing 24, with the result that it too is prevented from rotating once it is fitted into opening 17. As for openings 21 and 22 in the bearing covers, the bottom portion of bearing 23 rides on the edge of opening 21 and the top portion of bearing 24 rides on the edge of opening 22. It should be mentioned here with emphasis that although bearings 23 and 24 are prevented from rotating, the tolerances between the bearings and the bracket openings are intentionally made large enough so that the bearings can be wobbled slightly to overcome any misalignment problems that may be encountered. In this regard, bearings 23 and 24 respectively have axial openings 23c and 240 through them in which the shaft of motor 13 is to be mounted, as will be seen below.

Motor 13 is a conventional type motor and, therefore, basically includes a stator 13a and a rotor 13b rotatably mounted within the stator, the motor shaft, designated 13c, extending from the rotor through bearing openings 23c and 24c.

Enclosing cylindrical housing on the top is a center plate 25 which has a recessed section 250: at its center and an opening 25b through the center of the recess. Motor shaft 130 extends through recess opening 25b into hopper 26 where a cutter ring 27 and a flywheel 28 are mounted on the upper end of shaft 130, an impeller or flipper element 30, one of several, being mounted on the flywheel. In recess 25a and around shaft 13c is a water seal 31 mounted on an O-ring 32, the water seal, as its name implies, being used to prevent water from passing through opening 25b to the apparatus below. Above the recess and covering it like an umbrella is a disc-shaped member 33 that spins with the shaft, this spinning action of the member helping, because of the centrifugal forces generated, to ward off the water that falls or spills on it and thereby helping to maintain the water seal. The water itself ultimately leaves this section by means of a pipe 34 mechanically coupled to the hopper.

Hopper 26 is mounted on center plate 25 along the periphery thereof, a book-up ring 35 being mounted at its mouth or upper end by means of which the hopper and, therefore, the entire FIG. 1 apparatus can be firmly linked or coupled to the sink flange assembly rigidly mounted to the sink (not shown).

Finally, it should be mentioned that although and particular arrangement of the invention has been illustrated and described above by way of example, it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto. Accordingly, the invention should be considered to include any and all modifications, alterations or equivalent arrangements falling Within the scope of the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1. In the motor mount section of a food-waste disposer unit, the combination comprising: a pair of bracket plates mounted in spaced relationship one above the other, said pair of plates respectively having a pair of openings therethrough that are in registration with each other, said openings being other than circular; a pair of bearings respectively mounted in and partially extending through the openings of said bracket plates, the shape of those portions of the bearings extending through said openings conforming to the configuration thereof, said bearings and bracket plates being adapted to prevent any significant rotation of said bearings about their axis and at the same time enable them to wobble slightly to permit their axial alignment with one another; and means for supporting said bearings in the openings of said bracket plates.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein each of said plate openings has a straight edge and wherein each of said bearings has a flat surface extending through its associated opening contiguous to the straight edge thereof.

3. The combination comprising: a cylindrically-shaped housing for the motor apparatus of a garbage disposal unit, one end of said housing being closed and the other end thereof being open; a plate having a recess at its center mounted to cover the open end of said motor housing, said plate having an opening for a shaft therethrough at the center of said recess; a pair of brackets mounted in spaced relationship one above the other bencath said plate, said pair of brackets respectively having a pair of openings therethrough that are in registration with each other; a pair of bearings respectively mounted in and partially extending through the openings of said brackets, said bearings and brackets being adapted to prevent any significant rotation of said bearings about their respective axes and at the same time enable them to wobble slightly to permit their axial alignment with one another; a rotatable shaft extending through said pair of bearings and through the opening in the recess of said plate; and a water seal mounted in said recess and around said shaft to prevent water from passing through said plate and into said motor housing.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 wherein the openings through said brackets are other than circular in configuration and wherein the shape of those portions of the bearings that extend through said openings conform to the configuration thereof.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein each of said plate openings has a straight edge and wherein each of said bearings has a flat surface extending through its associated opening contiguous to the straight edge thereof.

6. The combination comprising: a cylindrically-shaped housing for the motorapparatus of a garbage disposal unit, one end of said housing being closed and the other end thereof being open; a plate having a recess at its center mounted to cover the open end of said motor housing, said plate having an opening for a shaft therethrough at the center of said recess; a pair of brackets mounted in spaced relationship one above the other be tween the ends of said motor housing, said pair of brackets respectively having a pair of non-circular openings therethrough that are in registration with each other and in alignment with the opening through said plate; a pair of bearings respectively mounted and partially extending through the openings of said brackets, the cross-sectional configuration of those portions of said bearings that extend through said bracket openings substantially conforming to the shapes thereof; a motor mounted in said housing between said brackets, said motor including a rotatable shaft extending through said pair of bearings and through. the opening in the recess of said plate; and Water-sealing apparatus mounted in said recess between the walls thereof and said shaft, said water-sealing apparatus including a bushing mounted on the shaft, an O-ring on the floor of said recess along the periphery thereof, a water-seal element on said O-ring between said bushing and the wall of said recess, and an umbrella element that covers said recess mounted on said shaft above said bushing, said umbrella element spinning with said shaft to eject water falling thereon.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 361,371 4/1962 Switzerland.

HARRISON L. HINSON, Primary Examiner. 

